Part 3/10:
The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the early 16th century heralded a brutal chapter for the Maya. Driven partly by greed and a mission to convert the indigenous populace to Christianity, figures like Hernán Cortés and Bishop Diego de Landa imposed violent measures, including the destruction of invaluable Maya texts. With thousands of deerskin and bark books lost to fire, the culture faced unparalleled challenges as the new conquerors aimed to obliterate any resistance to their ideology.